[Middle English revolucioun, from Old French revolution, from Late Latin revolti, revoltin-, from Latin revoltus, past participle of revolvere, to turn over.].

1. The act of revolving, or turning round on an axis or a center; the motion of a body round a fixed point or line; rotation; as, the revolution of a wheel, of a top, of the earth on its axis, etc.
2. Return to a point before occupied, or to a point relatively the same; a rolling back; return; as, revolution in an ellipse or spiral.

That fear Comes thundering back, with dreadful revolution, On my defenseless head. --Milton.

3. The overthrow of one government and its replacement with another.
4. A sudden or momentous change in a situation: the revolution in computer technology.

5. Geology. A time of major crustal deformation, when folds and faults are formed.

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1. "Revolution is like Saturn; it devours its own children." Georg Buechner

2. "A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another." Mao Zedong

3. "Revolution, in order to be creative, cannot do without either a moral or metaphysical rule to balance the insanity of history." Albert Camus

4. "The revolution will not go better with Coke. / The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath. / The revolution will put you in the driver's seat. / The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised, will not be televised, will not be televised. / The revolution will be no re-run brothers; / The revolution will be live." Gil Scott Heron