noun
- the action of striking or biting with a beak
- a social hierarchy in which individuals assert dominance over others
Usage: often used in ‘pecking order’
verb
- present participle of peck; striking or biting with the beak
Examples
- The chicken was pecking at the seeds on the ground.
- The woodpecker’s pecking could be heard throughout the forest.
- The birds were pecking each other during feeding time.
- She observed the pecking behavior of the hens in the yard.
- There’s a clear pecking order among the office employees.
- The constant pecking at the window annoyed the homeowner.
- New employees quickly learn the company’s pecking order.