What does transient mean?

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From our dictionary:

tran•sient

Pronunciation: (tran'shunt, -zhunt, -zE-unt), [key]
adj.
1. not lasting, enduring, or permanent; transitory.
2. lasting only a short time; existing briefly; temporary: transient authority.
3. staying only a short time: the transient guests at a hotel.
4. Philos.transeunt.

n.
1. a person or thing that is transient, esp. a temporary guest, boarder, laborer, or the like.
2. Math.
a. a function that tends to zero as the independent variable tends to infinity.
b. a solution, esp. of a differential equation, having this property.
3. Physics.
a. a nonperiodic signal of short duration.
b. a decaying signal, wave, or oscillation.
4. Elect.a sudden pulse of voltage or current.