The story
Coined in 2004 (see quote below) from hot core, to differentiate the core of low-mass from high-mass protostars. Compare Italian -ino (“diminutive”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Today it means: The warm, dense inner region of the envelope of young stellar objects where complex organic molecules are located. Full definition →
Coined in 2004 (see quote below) from hot core, to differentiate the core of low-mass from high-mass protostars. Compare Italian -ino (“diminutive”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.