rathole

[ rat-hohl ]

/ ˈrætˌhoʊl /

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.

down the rathole, for a worthless purpose or purposes: seeing your inheritance disappear down the rathole.

Origin of rathole

First recorded in 1805–15; 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