From VOA:
This prompted some activists to fast for days or even weeks to get lawmakers to pay attention.
What's the meaning of the word "fast"? It seems to be used as a verb. According to the dictionary, the word "fast" indeed can be used as a verb:
to eat little or no food for a period of time, especially for religious reasons
But it seems that the definition has nothing to do with the quotation above. Can anyone tell me how to interpret the word "fast"? Thanks.