About

The word 因噎废食 is formed by linking two conceptual components: the first two characters 因噎 (because of choking) present the cause, and the last two 废食 (abandon eating) present the effect, directly combining them in a cause-result structure to convey the literal meaning of discontinuing eating due to an instance of choking.

Word Definition - 因噎废食

yīn yē fèi shí lit. not eating for fear of choking (idiom); fig. to cut off one's nose to spite one's face; to avoid sth essential because of a slight risk