1 a difficult entangling situation
2 filthy run-down dilapidated housing
3 a trap for catching rats
A rat trap (or rattrap) is a trap designed to catch rats; however, it may also catch other similar sized animals.
Spring traps designed for rats are powerful enough to break a rat's neck or spine. They may break human fingers as well, whereas an ordinary spring-based mousetrap is very unlikely to break a human finger.
A rat cage trap is a metal cage box-shaped device that is designed primarily to catch rats. Food bait (not poisoned) is put in the cage trap. When an animal enters the cage and moves a platform attached to leavers, the door drops by gravity, and the animal is caught alive and without injury. The animal can be transported and released elsewhere.