| 1. | Animal Behavior. a dominance hierarchy, seen esp. in domestic poultry, that is maintained by one bird pecking another of lower status. |
| 2. | a sequence or hierarchy of authority in an organization or social group. |
A hierarchy within a social group or community, in which those members at the top assume positions of leadership, authority, and power. The expression originated from a description of social behavior among chickens, which attack each other by pecking to establish dominance.