the act of shortening something; or, the act of collecting things (such as stalks of wheat, flowers, etc.) with the hand (see Molina)
Alonso de Molina:
tlacotonaliztli. el acto de cortar, o abreuiar algo, o el acto de coger espigas, o cosa semejante conla mano. Alonso de Molina, Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, 1571, part 2, Nahuatl to Spanish, f. 119r. col. 2. Thanks to Joe Campbell for providing the transcription.