* Assuming the word does have any relation to the topological process of furnishing with a finite covering of open sets. I haven't heard of that in the context of string theory. It would be amusing if the word was just a journalist's error after all.

When I Googled it, all my hits were scientific papers and topology tutorials, not news articles. So the people in string theory really do seem to use it among themselves. (You could check with emanuela to be sure.)