Rube Goldberg

adjective

Rube Gold·​berg ˈrüb-ˈgōl(d)-ˌbərg 

variants or less commonly Rube Goldbergian

ˈrüb-ˈgōl(d)-ˌbər-gē-ən 

-ˌbərg-yən

: accomplishing by complex means what seemingly could be done simply

a kind of Rube Goldberg contraption … with five hundred moving parts

—L. T. Grant

also : characterized by such complex means

Word History

Etymology

Reuben (Rube) L. Goldberg †1970 American cartoonist

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above