1. holes or burrows made by rats
2. small, cramped, or squalid places or dwellings
Usage: informal; derogatory
3. projects or activities that consume resources without producing useful results
Usage: informal; business

Examples

• The old barn was full of ratholes along the foundation.
• Exterminators sealed up all the ratholes they could find.
• He called the tiny apartment a rathole but couldn’t afford anything better.
• The committee decided to stop funding ratholes that showed no progress.
• She refused to live in those ratholes downtown.
• The company identified several ratholes in their budget that needed elimination.