rathole

[ rat-hohl ]

/ ˈrætˌhoʊl /

noun

a hole made by a rat, as into a room, barn, etc.: The first chore in the old building is to plug up the ratholes.

the burrow or shelter of a rat.

any small and uncomfortable room, office, apartment, etc., especially one that is dirty or disordered: He lives in a rathole near the docks.

Origin of rathole

First recorded in 1805–15; rat + hole

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rat-hole

Just as I was going to put my hand on it, it hid itself in a rat-hole, from which there was no escape.
The Nest in the Honeysuckles, and other Stories|Various
I have been in every rat-hole of the world—but I never touched the rats.
My Life in Many States and in Foreign Lands|George Francis Train
Madame d'Espard is a sickly, nervous, delicate woman, who would faint in your rat-hole of a place.
The Commission in Lunacy|Honore de Balzac
The Mayor once replied to a letter inquiring about him, "He is a nobody and lives in a rat-hole."
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 7|Elbert Hubbard

Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole.
Vocal Expression|Katherine Jewell Everts

Word Origin and History for rat-hole

rat-hole

also rathole, 1812 in figurative sense of "nasty, messy place;" rat (n.) + hole (n.). As "bottomless hole" (especially one where money goes) from 1961.