砂石 (shā shí) is a compound noun meaning 'sand and gravel' — two common granular natural materials used extensively in construction, road building, and landscaping. The first character 砂 (shā) means 'sand', referring to fine particles of worn rock or coral; the second character 石 (shí) means 'stone' or 'rock', but here it specifically denotes 'gravel' — small, rounded fragments of rock larger than sand but smaller than cobblestones. Together, they form a fixed, uninflected noun that functions as a single unit, often treated as an uncountable mass noun in Chinese.

This term appears frequently in engineering reports, environmental regulations, and infrastructure projects. It is rarely used in daily conversation outside professional or technical contexts, and almost never refers to decorative or natural scenery alone — unlike the standalone word 砂 (sand) or 石 (stone), which have broader meanings. 砂石 is typically measured in cubic meters (立方米) or tons (吨) and is subject to mining permits and ecological oversight in China.