rat nest
Vermin's messy home
A rat nest is literally a nest built by rats, but the phrase almost always describes a tangled, chaotic mess—especially of hair, wires, or cords: The cables behind the TV were a rat's nest, She woke up with her hair in a rat nest.
The image evokes something neglected, knotted, and difficult to untangle.
Also spelled rat's nest.
- tangledTwisted confusedly together
- burrowAnimal's dug dwelling
- rodentGnawing mammal order
- messyLacking order or neatness
- snarlHostile vocal threat
knot · vermin · matted · den · wires · cables · electrical fire · clutter · jumble · chaotic · hair · lair · crawl space · gnawed · filthy · warren · hoarding · squeaking
order and organization
rat nestspick and span
Completely clean and orderly
ship-shape · neat as a pin · military precision · clean lines
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