沙士 Traditional form: 沙士 Pinyin (reading): shāshì Definitions: sarsaparilla root beer SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) (loanword) Characters: 沙 - sand, gravel, pebbles; granulated 士 - scholar, gentleman; soldier Traditional characters: 沙 - sand, gravel, pebbles; granulated 士 - scholar, gentleman; soldier