I think that is more of a namespace collision than anything else. Even in mathematics, there are different definitions of "theory". One is that a theory is a b

I think that is more of a namespace collision than anything else. Even in mathematics, there are different definitions of "theory". One is that a theory is a body of knowledge, like set theory or automata theory. This is where I would group string theory as well. Another definition from mathematical logic is that a theory is a set of axioms and deduction rules. Fascinatingly, those have in common with scientific theories that they can (if sufficiently complex) only ever be falsified, not verified.