It's only one word that I have lined out, and 90% of the stories containing this word are written by two authors, H. G. Wells and H. P. Lovecraft. So it doesn't need much context. Believe me, those two make it obvious what they mean when they use the word.
*And 50% of the uses of the word occur in one single story "The Rats in the Walls"
*And 50% of the uses of the word occur in one single story "The Rats in the Walls"