Try Wordnik, the new dictionary with more than 1.7 million words. Examples, pronunciations, and more!
Dictionary definition of “Goldberg”

Goldberg

n. a complicated machine or machine part. Also (Rube) Goldberg device, Goldberg machine. Subjects:
Comments? | Cites | Permalink | Tell a Friend
Citations: 1938-39 Mendelowitz Lexicon of Trade Jargon “Machinists” p. 21: Rube Goldberg. Automatic machine; probably derived from this well known cartoonist’s humorous drawings of intricate but useless machinery. *1938-39 Mendelowitz @ Wisc., Ohio, N.Y., Ind., Mich., Ala. Lexicon of Trade Jargon “Machinists’ Slang and Jargon [“add machinists”]” p. 3: Goldberg. Cheap, complicated machine piece. *1938-39 Lexicon of Trade Jargon “Material for Trade, Slang and Jargon Dictionary: Sheet Metal Workers” (in U.S. Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pa.) p. 10: Goldberg. Cheap, complicated pieces of mechanism.
Posted 25 Jun 05 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Leave a comment (must be approved by the moderator before it will appear).

Name (mandatory):

Email (mandatory):

Location (optional):

Your Web Site (optional):

Remember my personal information

Notify me, by email, of follow-up comments.

Recent Catchwords
nimbleton n. (11/6)
kitchen n. (11/6)
skuke n. (11/6)
parlor n. (11/6)
broccoli journalism n. (10/19)
strap hanging n. (10/8)
parclo n. (10/8)
Dipper n. (10/8)
jeggings n. (10/5)
dittoism n. (10/5)
crop n. (10/3)
sliming n. (10/3)
protestival n. (10/3)
excessing n. (10/3)
pencil top n. (10/3)
trophy jacket n. (10/3)
ball golf n. (10/3)
Scottish cringe n. (10/3)
bagel v. (9/30)
shake and bake n. (9/30)
 More catchwords...
Lexicographer's Rules
How much underworld slang is still used from 80 years ago? (10/27)
Remembering William Safire (9/27)
The elephant in the language (8/12)
Updates will continue to be slow for Double-Tongued (7/19)
Call of nature (7/1)
Feedburner URLs that have huge accidental traffic (6/16)
I held Samuel Johnson’s 1755 dictionary in my hands (6/9)
New: doors are open for Wordnik.com, a dictionary that aims to show all the words (6/8)
Boohoo, wah, & diddums: words of fake sympathy (6/3)
My book is now available at no cost as an e-book download (5/25)
 More blog entries...
Find A Word  »
 A   B   C   D   E 
 F   G   H   I   J 
 K   L   M   N   O 
 P   Q   R   S   T 
 U   V   W   X   Y 
 Z   0-9 
Search
Search Site

Google Site Search
Recent searches: sleep… roman toe… meg… gob…
New Comments
Ben Zimmer commented on riffed (8/18)
Gregory Teague commented on Taig (8/13)
Ben Zimmer commented on single shot (8/9)
christymarx commented on heinie (8/6)
amy_lu commented on mouth-breather (7/19)
hawkoffee commented on Mortarville (7/8)
Featherwood0973 commented on featherwood (6/30)
garyvh commented on rexing (6/28)
JR commented on jam track (6/21)
ElasticMind commented on innerpreneur (6/20)
GlennT commented on fourwall (5/31)
RevRayGreen commented on medible (5/25)
OKSoldiers commented on Mortarville (5/21)
Lew Hollerbach commented on eyebrow window (4/24)
Ollie commented on rexing (4/22)
Subscribe to the RSS feed. • Subscribe to the mailing list. • Browse the archive. • Add to Technorati Favorites. • © 1999-2009 by Grant Barrett, Double-Tongued Dictionary, New York City.