Verb
cause a feeling of interest or curiosity in somebody
pique
Dogs have been proven capable of sniffing out cancer, from its early stages to advanced malignancies. Researchers are piqued by what exactly the canines are detecting.
Noun
a way of dealing with and getting rid of unpleasant emotions, feelings, etc.
It comes naturally for us to confide in a gentle-faced dog about our traumas. Therapy dogs are invited into communities that have recently gone through crisis situations, as a way to provide emotional release.
Researchers observing a community of chimps in Uganda have noticed that as part of their cultural repertoire, young female chimps cradle logs and sticks like infants.
If scientists can identify the salient features of dolphin communication, it will be a big step towards decoding the rudiments of dolphins' natural language.
Adjective
serving to identify or distinguish something
Prairie dogs don't just have a call for "danger" — they have one signature set of frequencies and tones for "human," another for "hawk" and a third for "coyote." They can even differentiate between coyotes and pet dogs.
Adjective
(combination form) indicating a great or extreme example of something
"We're providing them with bigger and bigger challenges, so you've probably seen raccoon-proof garbage cans to try to keep them from figuring things out. But they always do, and we're actually shaping an uber-raccoon."
With training, pigeons can carry up to 75 g (2.5 oz) on their backs. The German apothecary Julius Neubronner used carrier pigeons to deliver urgent medication.