A productive cough brings up sputum from the respiratory tract; this process helps speed recovery from inflammation of the airways and lungs. A nonproductive cough is dry and scratchy, raises no sputum, and is typically a response to allergies or medication.
The adjective temporary is used to describe something that isn't permanent or lasts only a short time. Its roots are in the Latin word tempus, meaning time or season.. An employee who isn't a permanent addition to the staff is temporary and in this use, the word is often shortened to temp.
An example of transient is the short duration of the hurricane season in Florida. The definition of a transient is someone who is just passing through somewhere or isn't staying long.