Part 1
A very small stream
Rivulet
Into the midst of things
In medias res
An important or powerful person, especially in the media industry
Mogul
In a way relating to or denoting mental images having unusual vividness and detail
Eidetically
Having lost vigor or substance
Etiolated
Inspiring fear or respect by being very large, powerful, or intense
Formidable
The jaws or throat of a voracious animal
Maw
One's sphere of operations of a particular area of interest.
Bailiwick
Of or with respect to the distant stars
Sidereal
The ability to perceive or feel things
Sentience
Clever or cunning devices to deceive others
Artifice
Seemingly absurd or contradictory
Paradoxical
Something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form
Palimpsest
A rope used for raising and lowering a sail or flag on a sailing ship
Halyard
At the point of death
Moribund
Unintelligible or meaningless speech or writing.
Gibberish
Existing, occurring, or done under the earth's surface
Subterranean
An isolated hill or ridge or erosion-resistant rock rising above a peneplain
Monadnock
The meaning of a word, phrase, sentence, or text
Semantics
Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight
Bellicose
Decrepitude
The state of being decrepit/loss of strength from old age.
Subterranean (secondary meaning)
Secret, concealed
Piety
The quality of being religious or reverent
Vigilantes
Members of a self-appointed group of citizens who take the law in their own hands
Megalocephalic
Having an abnormally large head