Eigenvector wrote:
I was cutting some 16/4 poplar on the tablesaw and got halfway through
it when the saw stopped dead.

What kind of saw do you have? Portable, contractor, cabinet? What is
the amperage rating of the saw and of the circuit in question?

It's possible that the wood was warping and pinching the blade, or that
you were simply drawing more power than the circuit could handle.

Chris