what does dusky cheeks mean?

[alpacinou]

Hello.

I found this example in a dictionary:

Earrings gleamed against her dusky cheeks.

Does dusky mean black or brown skin? Is it possible for a white person to have dusky cheeks?

 

[alpacinou]

I also found this example: "dusky firelight."

https://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/dusky


How can firelight be dark?

 

[probus]

It just means that firelight tends to be rather dim. It's not the clearest way of expressing that, but such slightly murky statements are very common.

 

[Tdol]

Earrings gleamed against her dusky cheeks.

It is an old-fashioned way of describing certain people, mostly women, of colour, predominately South and SE Asian. It isn't used much today, and very rarely without people criticising the usage. Mark it up as an anachronism and don't use it.