a bunch of twigs lit on fire to provide light (see Molina); also a term for the fire brand that was prepared and adorned during the fire drilling ceremony (see Sahagún)
ca achtopa ic nenemachtiloia, muchichioaia in tlecuioani: itoca tlepilli. Auh ieehoatl, ic quioalaxitiaia in tlenamacaque: oc ie achto, vmpa quitlecauiaia, quitlamelaoaltiaia in iicpac teucalli: in vmpa mopieia ixiptla vitzilobuchtli, tlequazco contlaliaia = First, the fire brand was prepared and adorned. It was called tlepilli. And this the fire priests brought. Before [doing] anything else, they took it up, direct, to the top of the temple [pyramid], where was kept the image of Uitzilopochtli, and placed it in the fire holder. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
njman ie ic contlatia in tlepilli, ic neztiuh in ie ujco ioqujchoacan = Then the torches were lighted to show that already she was borne to her man's place (central Mexico, sixteenth century)