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transient |
4 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Transient \Tran"sient\, n. That which remains but for a brief time. --Glanvill. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Transient \Tran"sient\, a. [L. transiens, -entis, p. pr of transire, transitum to go or pass over See {Trance}.] 1. Passing before the sight or perception, or as it were moving over or across a space or scene viewed, and then disappearing; hence of short duration; not permanent; not lasting or durable; not stationary; passing; fleeting; brief; transitory; as transient pleasure. ``Measured this transient world.'' --Milton. 2. Hasty; momentary; imperfect; brief; as a transient view of a landscape. 3. Staying for a short time; not regular or permanent; as a transient guest; transient boarders. [Colloq. U. S.] Syn: {Transient}, {Transitory}, {Fleeting}. Usage: Transient represents a thing as brief at the best; transitory, as liable at any moment to pass away Fleeting goes further, and represents it as in the act of taking its flight. Life is transient; its joys are transitory; its hours are fleeting. What is loose love? A transient gust. --Pope If [we love] transitory things which soon decay, Age must be loveliest at the latest day --Donne. O fleeting joys Of Paradise, dear bought with lasting woes. --Milton. -- {Tran"sient*ly}, adv -- {Tran"sient*ness}, n. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: transient adj 1: (philosophy) of a mental act causing effects outside the mind [syn: {transeunt}] [ant: {immanent}] 2: enduring a very short time; "the ephemeral joys of childhood"; "a passing fancy"; "youth's transient beauty"; "love is transitory but at is eternal"; "fugacious blossoms" [syn: {ephemeral}, {passing}, {short-lived}, {transitory}, {fugacious}] n 1: one who stays for only a short time; "transient laborers" 2: (physics) a short-lived oscillation in a system caused by a sudden change of voltage or current or load From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (13 Mar 01) [foldoc]: transientA software object with a short and limited lifetime which is not saved for later reuse. (1998-04-19)
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