It is called the A-line because the effect resembles the capital letter A.    From Wordnet, Princeton University. 

Adjective : an A-line coat; an A-line dress.    From Dictionary.com. 

The Ultra A-line LEDs should be in stores in late August.    From Wordnik.com.  [Philips EnduraLED and Osram Sylvania Ultra A-line LED bulbs are designed to replace 60-watt incandescents] Reference

A-line mouse, when it grows up, will accept any later graft from.    From Wordnik.com.  [Peter Medawar - Nobel Lecture] Reference

I think they'll look okay with longer A-line skirts in the fall.    From Wordnik.com.  [July 2006] Reference

And the shrunken, osteoporosis blazers paired with A-line skirts?.    From Wordnik.com.  [What Happened to Anna Wintour's October Issue?] Reference

Fuller A-line silhouettes, including drop-waist dresses, are safer.    From Wordnik.com.  [Dressing for the Stage] Reference

I look best in princess lines, A-line or straight skirts, and v-necks.    From Wordnik.com.  [Home Living] Reference

Even Bob Dylan at his mid-'60s coolest found his way onto the handy A-line.    From Wordnik.com.  [Disposable Fashion as Permanent Art] Reference

Barzee sat quietly in court Monday wearing a blouse and green A-line dress.    From Wordnik.com.  [Barzee incompetent for trial] Reference

I just made a cute A-line skirt out oif black broderie anglaise last night.    From Wordnik.com.  [Wrap pattern sought ... - A Dress A Day] Reference

Alice was already at her usual desk in a black A-line dress with no sleeves.    From Wordnik.com.  [Echo Burning]

I can't wear A-line, and look better in a pencil skirt or a bell shaped skirt.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Value of Clothing in Creating a Mood] Reference

Associated Press A modern design gave an edge to classicly shaped A-line dress.    From Wordnik.com.  [On the Runway: Marni] Reference

It was a simple A-line, no sleeves, knee-length, black, with little white dots on it.    From Wordnik.com.  [Persuader]

And you may find that, without a good petticoat, an A-line skirt collapses at your hips.    From Wordnik.com.  [November 2006] Reference

If nothing else, you can just make an A-line skirt and a matching princess-seamed blouse.    From Wordnik.com.  [What Women Are Saying About Clothing Today] Reference

The dress, with its slim bodice and A-line skirt, came from his 2009 resort collection.    From Wordnik.com.  [What the women wore on the convention stages.] Reference

Actresses with up-dos and floral blouses tucked into A-line skirts held herbal cigarettes.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Women Behind ‘Mad Men’] Reference

Choose A-line bias-cut skirts or hip-stitched pleated ones, and keep them well below mid-thigh.    From Wordnik.com.  [Winter Shorts on an Older Woman] Reference

Banding alphabet fabric of which I have a gracious plenty at the bottom of a plain A-line skirt?.    From Wordnik.com.  [Ideas I Am Going To Steal - A Dress A Day] Reference

I think probably fun tights and A-line corduroy skirts would be more age-appropriate at this point.    From Wordnik.com.  [July 2006] Reference

She walks out in her freshly pressed uniform; an A-line skirt, jacket and a banana clip in her hair.    From Wordnik.com.  [Reny Monk: Triumph Of The Shrill] Reference

A beautiful A-line dress with high neck made out of Hemp/Tencel and silk yoke detail and ribbon sash.    From Wordnik.com.  [Summer Rayne Oakes: If Sarah Palin were a sustainable style maven...] Reference

"But the ruching doesn't take Samantha too far out of her comfort zone without resorting to an A-line dress.".    From Wordnik.com.  [StyleCaster: Real Life Makeover: From Girl Next Door to Femme Fatale] Reference

Trench coats may be movie-star cool but so is the straight cut, A-line raincoat, also known as the balmacaan.    From Wordnik.com.  [Finding the Right Raincoat] Reference

But if the CBA cells are injected into a foetal or newborn A-line mouse, they are accepted; more than that, the.    From Wordnik.com.  [Peter Medawar - Nobel Lecture] Reference

So he preferred a nice cardigan and a polyester blouse - you can't wear an A-line skirt on a bike, get over it.    From Wordnik.com.  [Look How Clever We Are !] Reference

Chain retailers 'bridal gowns tend toward sheath and A-line styles — using much less fabric than poufy styles.    From Wordnik.com.  [Something Old, Something from the Mall] Reference

Denim skirts are ideal for all household tasks and gardening A-line ankle length are what I find most practical.    From Wordnik.com.  [The Deconstruction of Women's Clothing] Reference

The fail-safe date dress: a wrapped, A-line style, which flatters most body types and injects a dash of flirtiness.    From Wordnik.com.  [Dressing for a First Date] Reference

A tall, thin woman in a light brown A-line dress that made her look like a popsicle stick asked them if she could help.    From Wordnik.com.  [Brannon's Choice]

A little more practice will give you the skills to make a skirt A-line rather than straight, gathered rather than pleated.    From Wordnik.com.  [Light Yellow Cotton Dress] Reference

Qristyl has designed for Queen Latifah and tends towards colorful fabrics in classic shapes like A-line swing dresses and sheaths.    From Wordnik.com.  [Una LaMarche: Handicapping Project Runway Season 6] Reference

Even with my glasses on, I am not able to discern if the body of the dresses are constructed with princess seams or are simply A-line.    From Wordnik.com.  [Hawaiian Dresses] Reference