rattrap
Dilapidated dwelling place
A rattrap is a device for catching rats, typically a spring-loaded mechanism that snaps shut.
Figuratively, a rattrap is a rundown, cramped, or squalid dwelling: They lived in a rattrap of an apartment.
It can also mean a hopeless situation or a place designed to ensnare: The whole scheme was a rattrap.
Gnawing mammal order
- verminHarmful small animals
- mouseSmall gnawing mammal
- infestationPest takeover situation
- gnawBite repeatedly at
scurry · exterminator · poison · bait · mice · plague · contamination · droppings
Gradual organic breakdown
- ruinComplete destruction or collapse
- disrepairPoor maintained condition
- squalorDirty, degraded living conditions
- crumblingBreaking down gradually
neglect · abandonment · blight · decrepitude · rot · deterioration · shambles · ramshackle
Exposure to harm
- hazardSource of potential harm
- riskPossibility of harm
- threatIndication of potential harm
- pitfallHidden danger or drawback
minefield · tripwire · deadfall · deathtrap · snag · catch · gotcha
Surprise strike from concealment
- decoyFalse target for misdirection
- ployCalculated deceptive tactic
- webInterwoven filament structure
- labyrinthIntricate passage network
pitfall · snare · tangle · meshes · quicksand · mire · quagmire · bind
rodent
Gnawing mammal order
- verminHarmful small animals
- mouseSmall gnawing mammal
- infestationPest takeover situation
gnaw · scurry · exterminator · poison · bait · mice · plague · contamination · droppings · nesting
snare
Device for catching prey
lure · mechanism · snap · catch · clamp · wire · mesh · teeth · coil · tension
decay
Gradual organic breakdown
- ruinComplete destruction or collapse
- disrepairPoor maintained condition
- squalorDirty, degraded living conditions
crumbling · neglect · abandonment · blight · decrepitude · rot · deterioration · shambles · ramshackle · tumbledown
danger
Exposure to harm
pitfall · minefield · tripwire · deadfall · deathtrap · snag · catch · gotcha
ambush
Surprise strike from concealment
labyrinth · pitfall · snare · tangle · meshes · quicksand · mire · quagmire · bind · corner
destitution
Extreme poverty, lacking necessities
- impoverishmentState of extreme deprivation
- squalorDirty, degraded living conditions
- indigenceExtreme poverty, total want
penury · hardship · privation · deprivation · slum · ghetto · tenement · shanty · skid row · inner city
rattrapmansion
Large, stately home
palace · penthouse · showplace · estate · stately home
rattrapfreedom
Absence of constraint
golden opportunity · open road · easy street · way out · escape route
rattraphumane trap
Non-lethal animal snare
live trap · cage · release mechanism · sanctuary · haven