I am researching the word "revolution". I have found many good definitions but would like some "alternative" or non-traditional sources by which to define it. I also was curious about illustrative examples you could recommend.
You should also consider consulting Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language, originally published in 1755. It can be searched online here: www.fab24.net/jd300905/index.htm
Also, just as with the quotation guides suggested above, you could track down sources by looking at the Oxford English Dictionary entry for the term (I am guessing you may have already checked this out).
While I hope that my colleagues will provide some more alternative, not to say "revolutionary," resources, let me suggest a "librarianish" standby: the book of quotations.
From the website www.bartleby.com you can get to 3 different sourcebooks of quotation, Bartlett's, Simpson's, and Columbia World of Quotations. Searching "revolution" in each of those will yeild short poetic "definitions" from sources ranging from John Adams to Hannah Arendt to Mao Zedong. I would recommend selecting each resource separately from the drop down menu, rather than leaving the default "All Quotations" search, so as to get the "flavor" of each different resource (though there is much overlap).
An addition benefit to using these old workhorses is that they may suggest names for further research. While the citations are often not as thorough as one might like, it will at least provide a pointer.